Abstract
Disclosure of transgender identity is one of the most challenging yet personally liberating pronouncements that an individual can share with others. Verbalizing their self-identity can be a struggle for transgender individuals due to fears of social disapproval, rejection, loss of loved ones, discrimination, ostracism, verbal harassment, and violence (Shira Maguen, 2007).
An estimated 3.5% of adults in the United States identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual and an estimated 0.3% of adults are transgender. This implies that there are approximately 9 million LGBT Americans, a figure roughly equivalent to the population of New Jersey. Among adults who identify as LGB, bisexuals comprise a slight majority (Transgender: By the numbers, 2015)
Summary Breasts. Bows. Barbie dolls. The foundation of a societal female identity has been established and reinforced time and time again. As children, we are taught which physical attributes and personal preferences align with the stereotypical women’s figure, culminated in the Bratz Doll. “Sugar, spice and everything nice” has taken on a modern day spin. Less room exists for the model quiet, book reading girl while more space is made for the spacey mean girls whose handbag contents include lap dogs and hair brushes. Stroll through the toy aisle in any store. Adjust your eyes to the colors, patterns, and themes associated with the products available in the “girl” and “boy” departments. These stereotypical
Young girls playing with Bratz dolls is not an ideal situation because the doll teaches them how to make themselves look more sexualized. This plastic doll is only six inches in length, much shorter then it’s competitor Barbie, but it still holds much more impact on a child. With very voluminous hair and outrageous makeup such as eyeshadow, lipstick, and mascara, little girls are being exposed to something that they should not have to experience until they are in their teens. The dolls lead young girls to think
The Barbie doll has been a popular play toy for young girls since the late 1950s. Although the Barbie doll seem like an innocent toy, it has had an effect on little girls’ body images. Many studies have shown an association between young girls playing with Barbies and eating disorders. Even grown women want to resemble Barbie so badly that they start to do surgery on their bodies which can be very dangerous. This has led to the term, Barbie Syndrome, which refers to “the drive, often of adolescent girls, to attain impossible standards of beauty, projected by toys—e.g., Mattel’s Barbie Doll—and the media, resulting in failure and frustration, issues related to body
Stanton Coit was born in Ohio in 1857. He grew up in a time burgeoning with social change and reform. After years of study at various institutions Coit founded Neighborhood Guild, the original settlement house in the United States. Settlement houses were places, set up in poor areas, which provided a helping hand for the neighborhood (Koger, 2015). He also founded the South Place Ethical Society in London, which focused on the ethical issues in all areas of life and society (Hansan, 2011). Coit was born in the wake of the industrial revolution, and worked in the slums of large cities like New York and London. Coit desired reforms for working class folks. He wished to see greater organization among lower class groups, which would hopefully aid
Since the emergence of the Barbie doll in 1959, Barbie has been a populous choice among young children, and more specifically young girls because of its monopolization of the toy market. Barbie is a doll that has been outwardly controversial and debated upon for years and most likely will be for many years to come. The idea of the Barbie doll is a toy for which young girls model themselves after and aspire to be like when they mature and grow up. DuCille states, “more than simple instruments of pleasure and amusement, toys and games play crucial roles in helping children determine what is valuable in and around
The toy section at Target had many clear differences in the toys for boys and the toys for girls. The types of toys that were out on the shelves were different, but also the way the toys were presented were different. Girls toys mainly consisted of stuffed animals, dress up clothes, babies and dolls including Bratz, Barbies and fairies. The primary colors of all these toys consisted of different shades of purple, pink, and white. There were bits of blue and yellow but it seemed that all the colors stood out and had a type of feminine aspect to them. Besides color, the girl’s toys were often soft and fuzzy or
Motz’s asserts that the dolls give young girls the power the essentially be anything they wanted to be though they “reflect traditional, outdated roles for women”. The Barbie doll gives young women the idea that life can be spent with leisure without much effort. Considering the dolls have a different outfit for every task/event and portray a life of luxury, even while working or going to school. Motz’s says that the dolls are a symbol for modern American success which emphasizes “wealth, beauty, popularity and leisure”. The message these dolls convey negatively impact the identities of American women.
Gender roles in toys are overwhelmingly obvious. The breakdown has not changed in so many years that we all comply with and follow without question. Taking a trip to the local Toys R Us store showed me just how obvious the line was drawn for the sexes, showing a specific division of the two. The stores layout clearly establishes the line between girl’s toys and boys toys. There are very few isles that will intermingle within the sexes. For this project I selected the following age groups; infant, preschool and school age with a focus on girls toys.
Young people of today look to society for influences in how they should look and act. Children are influenced daily by television, Internet and video games, friends, and even the toys they play with. Boys grow up wanting to be like the superheroes and G.I. Joe figures they play with; girls look to their Barbies and dolls to see how society mandates teens and young adults to be. Bratz dolls are also among those Barbie-type toys that girls are looking up to these days. Bratz dolls are similar to Barbie in form; however, Bratz are more fashionable and “hip” than the traditional blonde-haired, blue-eyed Barbie. In fact, the more fashionable and “hip” the dolls become, the more negative the image becomes that they exude. The outrageous clothing
In a lot of places around the world more and more people are coming out as “Transgender.” The term transgender means that the person’s gender identity does not correspond with the gender they were assigned as having at birth. From personally having a transgender boyfriend I have since realized that these people experience a lot of discrimination in and from society. Many people simply just do not understand what the term transgender means and they see it as someone just “wants to be a man” or “wants to be a woman.” While there may be people who present it this way, it is more so that the individual just “feels” different, and “feels” as if they are “in the wrong body.” Some people experience this feeling at a young age as my boyfriend did in his elementary age. We live in a world who put these people down for being who they truly are, and no human being wants or needs that.
Unfortunately, the packing and the products conveyed the tone and pressure associated with being a female in our culture. For example, a display of a vibrant pink light up vanity set dressed a corner of the isle. It was accompanied by a matching brush set, pretend curling iron, blow dryer and a few curling rollers. Sold separately, I smiled as I found scented perfume. This model was aligned with the standards place on young girls to be dainty and pretty and to entertain the importance of physical appearance. It applauded not too far from the vanity display I came across kitchen sets along with food pieces to complete the set. I was intrigued by life size brooms and dust pans and matching aprons. I gasped as I set my eyes on an ironing board and iron set. I was taken back for a second, because I refused to buy into my own thought that the toys were an implication of what society views as female roles, but the message was overwhelming and significant. Babies dolls, swing sets, play pens, bottles, diapers all set the stage for the image of the idea of a mother tending to her child. Is this a representation of a women’s worth? Although, knew the answer I asked myself “are there any toys that entertain the role of a
Some believe children are often too young to pick up on messages that toys send regarding gender, however; when a child is constantly surrounded by pink labels and blue labels, they begin to associate what is “wrong” for them to play with and what is “right” to play with depending on their sex. From Barbie dolls, to hot wheels, play work bench sets, to pink play kitchen sets,
My transgender identity influences my life in ways that I would have never imagined. As a five-year old entering kindergarten, I knew that I was “different”. I use that term very loosely because everybody is different in their own way. However, my “different” is not something I can hide. Teachers, parents, and students alike would ask the infamous question I became so used to in my life, “Are you a boy or a girl?”.
Transgender people are often fearful about letting others know that they have gender dysphoria, or may be
Gender socialization often begins early once parents are shown the sex of their child; from then on, baby showers are planned according to gender “appropriate” colors, which are often pink for girls and blue for boys. Even differences in how children are spoke to can be picked up easily in Western cultures. Girls are called pretty and sweet, whereas boys are handsome and strong. Ultimately, the way children learn to identify with their gender culture is in part due to not only family and friends, media, schools, and religion, but also from the toys that may inexplicitly advertise gender expectations. Gender-typed toys may be bought for children as a way for parents to encourage and reinforce gender-appropriate behaviors. However, recent debates have engulfed toy manufacturers and major retailers, which has brought about changes in toy design and marketing in an effort to make reflect more realistic and gender neutral options.
Every day girls worldwide wake up, apply their makeup, wear fancy expensive clothing, wear high heels, and wear skintight clothing. Girls do this every morning because they have to. Society expects them to. Even young girls are encouraged to look a certain way. As time goes on it appears that younger and younger kids are now sporting outfits that reflect the current adult trends. In my personal experience I have witnessed young teen girls that have gone through so much trouble that they resemble a young woman; despite the fact that they have barely touched puberty. Children are now being included in the social norms and expectations of women at an age that is not safe for their self-esteem. Young girls are now self-conscious about themselves because of what others think. These girls are being taught that they should look a certain way to fit in or to be popular. Novelist Marge Piercy has contributed her part in this topic by bringing to light a significant social issue that focuses on the expectations of the typical girl through her short poem Barbie Doll. This poem introduces a typical young girlchild who is victim to the tortures of a girl who does not fit in with society. The girlchild is given the same toys as everyone else. The toy is a doll a plastic Barbie doll with pitch perfect hair and a slender body. Piercy is arguing how nearly every girl will receive the same toy and that same toy will give off the same message to all children, boy or girl. That message is that